Ice cream cone dispenser



Ap 28, J. BALTO N 2,281,134

ICE CREAM cons: DISPENSER Filed June 3, 1940 :s Sheets-Sheet 1 l an I ,1

I /5 h I I F 10 I 3 2 1 6 9 a a Z 2 5 2a .32 39 y f v 5 3 m James B0120 April 28, 1942'.

J. BALTON ICE CREAM C ONE DISPENSER Filed June 3, 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jemes Bil/Z207 V Patented Apr. 28, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT orrics ICE CREAM CONE DISPENSER James Balton, Baltimore, Md, assignor to Maryland Baking Company, Inc., Baltimore, Md, a corporation of Maryland Application June 3, 1940, Serial No. 338,636

(Cl. 312-44) The present invention relates to dispensing de- 14 Claims.

vices of the general type shown in Letters Patent No. 1,743,092, issued January 14, 1930, Patent No. 2,221,466, issued November 12, 1940, and application Ser. No. 325,242. I

1 An object of the present invention is to proi vide means by which the cone stack magazine can be turned to present a new stack of cones to the dispensing mechanism and so to lock the magazine turning means and the dispensing means that'neither can be operated unless and until i each is in the proper cooperative position with respect to the other.

Further, it is an object of the present invention to simplify and improve the construction of the dispenser, to render it more practical and useful, as well as to improve its appearance from an artistic standpoint.

Other objects will in part be obvious and in part be pointed out hereinafter.

To the attainment of the aforesaid objects and i ends the invention still further resides in the novel details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, all of which will be first fully described in the following detailed description, and then be particularly pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the ac companying drawings, in which- Fig. l is a central vertical section of the ma chine.

Fig; 2 is a horizontal section on the line 2-2 of Fig; 1, looking in the direction of the arrow.

Fig. 3 is a detail front elevation of a portion of the machine. 1

Fig. 4 is a developed section on the line 44 of Fig. 2 with the parts in position ready for the dispensing mechanism to be operated.

Fig. 5 is a View similar to Fig. 4, showing the position of the parts when'the dispensingmechanism is locked.

Fig. 6 is a section the latch free.

Fig. 7 is a section on the line 7-l of Fig. 5 with the latch in its bolt holding position to lock the dispensing shaft.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings, I represents the base of the support or pedestal 2 on whose bracket 3 the platform 4 of the machine proper is mounted. The platform 4 has a skirt on the line 6-6 of Fig. 4 with 5 and is provided with a discharge opening 6 that is normally closed by a pivoted valve orv gate 21.

The rotatable magazine includes an annular wall 1 which sets over the skirt 5, and a bottom 9 which rests on the platform 4. The bottom 9 has a central hole to receive the central bearing lug II, a retaining ring 12 being provided to hold the magazine down on the platform 4.

A set of cone-stack guides 8 of the same construction as those disclosed in my application Ser. No. 325,242 aforesaid, is provided and suitably secured to the base 4, each unit of the guides being located over an outlet hole in the bottom 9 (see Fig. 1). As the magazine is like that of my application Ser. No. 325,242 of which it constitutes a part and, per se, is not a part of the present invention, a detailed description of the same herein is not thought necessary. The lug H and platform 4 have a slot l3 through which the lower end of the rocking lever 15 of the cone discharge mechanism passes. The dispensing mechanism herein disclosed is substantially the same as that covered by Patent No. 2,221,466 aforesaid and, per se, is not of my invention. This mechanism includes the standard It in which at It the lever I is pivoted.

I1 is the inner cone-holdback fork and 28 its pivot to the outer cone discharging fork I9. The fork I! is pivoted to the upper end of the lever at I8. The outer fork I 9 has a heel 2| that, by engagement with the cam block 22 when the forks are moved from left to right in Fig. 1, serves to tilt. the fork l9 down to dislodge a cone from the stack through the opening IE, IS when gate 21 is open, as will later more fully appear. A pin 23 serves to guide the forks in their forward and return movements.

The interior of the magazine is designed to be illuminated by a bulb 24 in an electric socket 25,

t as in my application Ser. No. 325,242 aforesaid.

(It will, of course, be understood that a cover of the bell-glass type, not shown in the accompanying drawings, but like that .of my application Ser. No. 325,242 aforesaid, is intended to be used to fit within the wall I and extend up over the conestack guides.)

The lamp base 25 is secured to the platform 4 by a hollow stud 26 through which and the standard 2 and hollow base .I, the electrical connections to an external circuit are made.

The stud 26 also serves as a pivot for the gate 21 whose arm 28 has a gear segment 3| to mesh with the gear segment on the shaft 32. It also has an arcuate eccentric slot 29 into which the lower end of lever i5 projects, a spring 36 continuously tending to close gate 2! and return handles 36 and operating shaft 32 to normal position. i The shaft 32 is mounted in bearings 33 and has a stop arm 34 to limit the rotation of the shaft.

A cam 31 is also secured on the shaft 32 to cooperate with the latch bolt 39 which is mounted in the housing 38 and has a latch receiving slot 4| into which the latch 40, which is pivoted at 42, is adapted to enter to hold bolt 39 inoperative when the bolt 44 is projected toward shaft 32 by engagement with the lug 55 on the magazine turning arm 45. When the arm is in the normal position, i. e., with the arm 45 lying in the notches 49 and 50, and the bevel end 43 of the bolt 44 has forced latch 40 out of slot 4| (see full lines, Fig. 4), the dispensing mechanism is free to be operated. A spring 41 serves continuously to urge bolts 39- and 44 in opposite directions.

The arm 45 is of a springy nature and has a finger piece 46 by which it can be manipulated. The skirt 5 has an elongated slot 48, one end of which has a raised notch 49. The lower end of the annular wall I of the magazine has notches or recesses 55 corresponding in number to. the number of cone stack guide units 8 and spaced apart at equal distances equal to the length of slot 48. The said lower edge also has beveled approaches 5| to the notches or recesses 50.

52 is a cone catcher whose fingers 53 hold the dispensed cone until the person dispensing it is ready to use, whereupon he pulls it down from the catcher.

Operation Assume all parts to be innormal position (Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4) To dispense a cone, the operator depresses one or both handles 36. This rocks shaft 32 in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 4, thereby swinging gate 21 in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 2. Swinging the gate causes cam slot 29 to effect a movement of the end of lever l5 from right to left in Fig. 2 (clockwise in Fig. 1) to project the forks l1 and I9 and thereby cause one cone to be detached from the stack and be ejected or dropped through openings l5, 6 into catcher 52.

At the same time cam 31 engages the left hand end of latch bar 39 and moves it to the dotted position in Fig. 4 so that its rear end is projected beneath the lug 56 on arm 45 (see dotted lines, Fig. 4) so that as soon as handle 36 starts to turn shaft 32, bolt 39 will prevent finger piece 46 from being depressed and hence locks parts 5 and 1 together.

Now assume the parts to be again in normal position and the cone stack immediately above the gate to be exhausted. To bring a new stack into dispensing position the operator depresses finger piece 46 and moves it along slot 48 to its opposite end until it springs up into notch 50 at the left in Fig. 3. He then moves finger piece 46 from left to right in Fig. 3 until the right hand end of slot 48 is again reached. He now releases 46 which springs up into recesses or notches 49- -50.

As soon as he has depressed finger piece 46 and has begun to move it along slot 48 as above described (left to right, Figs. 4 and 5), spring 41 pulls bolt 44 to project its free end (Fig. 5) across notch 45, thus Withdrawing from latch 45 which now gravitates into slot or notch 4| and locks bolt 39 so shaft 32 cannot be turned while a new stack is being brought into position for dispensing. As 45-46 is returned to normal position, i. e., in recesses 49-50, lug 55 will have pushed bolt 44 back (right to left in Fig. 5) and its bevel 43 will have pushed latch 40 out of slot 4|, leaving bolt 39 free again.

It will therefore be seen that the locking of the dispensing mechanism while changing stacks and the locking of the stack shifting mechanism while dispensing is automatically effected and all danger of destroying cones by improper dispensing is prevented.

While I have shown and described a preferred embodiment of the invention, I do not Wish to be limited thereby, as changes in the details of construction and arrangement of the parts, within the scope of the appended claims, can readily 1 be made by those skilled in the art.

What I claim is:

1. In a cone dispensing machine, a platform having a dispensing opening, a gate for closing said opening, a magazine for cone stacks rotatably mounted on said platform and having a plurality of discharge openings, cone stack guides over each discharge opening, a cone dispensing mechanism, means for opening said gate and actuating said dispensing mechanism to dispense a cone through said dispensing opening, and means to lock said magazine against being turned while said gate opening and cone dispensing means is in operation.

2. In a cone dispensing machine, a platform having a dispensing opening, a gate for closing said opening, a magazine for cone stacks rotatably mounted on said platform and having a plurality of discharge openings, cone stack guides over each discharge opening, a cone dispensin mechanism, means for opening said gate and actuating said dispensing mechanism to dispense a cone through said dispensing opening, means for turning said magazine to move one cone stack guide from over said dispensing opening and bring another cone stack guide into position over the same, and means to lock said gate opening and cone dispensing means against operation while said magazine is being turned. 3

3. In a cone dispensing machine, a platform having a dispensing opening, a magazine rotatably mounted on said platform and having a plurality of discharge openings positioned to be brought one at a time in register with said dispensing opening, a gate for closing said opening, a cone dispensing mechanism cooperating with said magazine, said gate and said dispensing opening for dispensing cones from the magazine through said dispensing opening, means for operating said gate and said dispensingmagazine and means for turning said magazine to bring its discharge openings respectively into register with said dispensing opening.

4. In a cone dispensing machine, a platform having a dispensing opening, a gate for closing said opening, a magazine rotatably mounted on said platform and having a plurality of discharge openings positioned to be brought oneat a time in register with said dispensing opening, a cone dispensing mechanism cooperating with said magazine and said dispensing opening for dispensing cones from the magazine through said dispensing opening, means for operating said gate and actuating said dispensing mechanism means for turning said magazine to bring its discharge openings respectively into register with said dispensing opening, and means to lock said dispensing means against operation when a dis charge opening of the magazine is out of register with said dispensing opening.

5. In a cone dispensing machine, a platform having a dispensing opening, a magazine rotatably mounted on said platform and having a plurality of discharge openings positioned to be brought one at a time in register with said dispensing opening, a gate for closing said opening, a cone dispensing mechanism cooperating with said magazine, said gate and said dispensing opening for dispensing cones from the magazine through said dispensing opening, means for operating said gate and said dispensing magazine, means for turning said magazine to bring its discharge openings respectively into register with said dispensing opening, and means to lock said magazine turning means against operation while said dispensing means is being operated.

6. In a cone dispensing machine, a platform having a dispensing opening, a gate for closing said opening, a magazine for cone stacks rotatably mounted on said platform and having a plurality of discharge openings, cone stack guides over each discharge opening, a cone dispensing mechanism, means for opening said gate and dispensing a cone through said dispensing opening, and means to lock said dispensing means and said magazine-turning means alternately against operation, by virtue of which when the dispensing means is in operation the magazine-turning means cannot be operated and conversely While said magazine-turning means is in operation the dispensing means will be held inoperative.

'7. In a cone dispensing machine, a platform having a dispensing opening, a gate for closing said opening, a magazine for cone stacks rotatably mounted on said platform and having a plurality of discharge openings, cone stack guides over each discharge opening, a cone dispensing mechanism, means for opening said gate and dispensing a cone through said dispensing opening, and means to lock said dispensing means and said magazine-turning means alternately against operation, said dispensing means including a turnable shaft and said magazine-turning means including an arm, said locking means comprising means acting on said shaft and on said arm respectively to hold the one inoperative while the other is being operated.

8. In a cone dispensing machine, a platform having a dispensing opening, a gate for closing said opening, a magazine for cone stacks rotatably mounted on said platform and having a plurality of discharge openings, cone stack guides over each discharge opening, a cone dispensing mechanism, means for opening said gate and dispensing a cone through said dispensing opening,

means to lock said dispensing means and said magazine-turning means alternately against operation, said dispensing means including a turnable operating shaft, said magazine-turning means including a movable operating arm, said platform and said magazine having arm receiving recesses into which said arm is moved to hold said magazine from turning, a latch bolt housing carried by said platform, a latch bolt in said housing for cooperation with said shaft and with said arm, and means on said shaft to engage said latch bolt and project it into holding position with respect to said arm as said shaft starts to turn to lock said arm in said recesses.

9. In a cone dispensing machine, a, platform having a dispensing opening, a gate for closing said opening, a magazine for cone stacks rotatably mounted on said platform and having a plurality of discharge openings, cone stack guides over each discharge opening, a cone dispensing mechanism, means for opening said gate and dispensing a cone through said dispensing opensaid housing for cooperation with said shaft and with said arm, means on said shaft to engage said latch bolt and project it into holding position with respect to said arm as said shaft starts to turn to lock said arm in said recesses, and means to lock said latch bolt against movement to hold said shaft against being operated while said arm is out of said recesses.

10. In a cone dispensing machine, a platform having a dispensing opening, a gate for closing said opening, a magazine for cone stacks rotatably mounted on said platform and having a plurality of discharge openings, cone stack guides over each discharge opening, a cone dispensing mechanism, means for opening said gate and dispensing a cone through said dispensing opening, means to lock said dispensing means and said magazine-turning means alternately against operation, said dispensing means including a turnable operating shaft, said magazine-turning means including a movable operating arm, said platform and said magazine having arm receiving recesses into which said arm is moved to hold said magazine from turning, a latch bolt housing carried by said platform, a latch bolt in said housing for cooperation with said shaft and with said arm, means on said shaft to engage said latch bolt and project it into holding position with respect to said arm as said shaft starts to turn to lock said arm in said recesses, means to lock said latch bolt against movement to hold said shaft against being operated while said arm is out of said recesses, said last named means comprising a slot in said latch bolt, a latch continuously tending to enter said slot to hold the bolt against movement by said shaft, and means set by said arm while in said recesses for holding said .latch out of said slot.

11. In a cone dispensing machine, a platform having a dispensing opening, a gate for closing said opening, a magazine for cone stacks rotatably mounted on said platform and having a plurality of discharge openings, cone stack guides over each discharge opening, a cone dispensing mechanism, means for opening said gate and dispensing a cone through said dispensing opening, means to lock said dispensing means and said magazine-turning means alternately against operation, said dispensing means including a turntable operating shaft, said magazine-turning means including a movable operating arm, said platform and said magazine having arm receiving recesses into which said arm is moved to hold said magazine from turning, a latch bolt housing carried by said platform, a latch bolt in said housing for cooperation with said shaft and with said arm, means on said shaft to engage said latch bolt and project it into holding position with respect to said arm as said shaft starts to turn to lock said arm in said recesses, means to lock said latch bolt against movement to hold said shaft against being operated while said arm is out of said recesses, said last named means comprising a slot in said latch bolt, a latch continuously tending to enter said slot to hold the bolt against movement by said shaft, a latchrelease bolt in said latch bolt housing and having provision for normally holding said latch inoperative, and means continuously tending to project said latch bolt toward said shaft and said latch-release bolt away from said latch.

12. In a machine of the class described, a support having a slotted portion with a recess at one end of the slot, a rotatable magazine carried support, and means interposed between said shaft and said arm for locking the shaft against operation while said arm is out of said recesses.

13. In a machine of the class described, a support having a slotted portion with a recessvat 'one end of the slot, a rotatable magazine carried by said support and having a recess to cooperate with said slot, a magazine-turning arm operative in said slot and recesses, a dispensing mechanism having an operating shaft journalled in said support, and means interposed between said shaft and said arm for locking said arm against leaving said recesses while said shaft is turned from its normal or rest position.

14. In a machine of the class described, a sup- ,port having a slotted portion with a recess at one end of the slot, a rotatable magazine carried by said support and having a recess to cooperate with said slot, a magazine turning arm operative in said slot and recesses, a dispensing mechanism having an operating shaft journalled in said support, a latch bolt housing on said support between said shaft and said slot, a latch bolt and a latch-release bolt in said housing, means continuously tending to project said bolts in opposite directions, a cam on said shaft to engage an end of said latch bolt, said latch bolt being normally out of the path of movement of said arm but being projected into the same by said cam when said shaft is turned from its rest posiw tion, said latch-release bolt engaging said arm while said arm is in its normal position, said latch bolt having a slot, and a gravity latch for entering said slot to hold said latch bolt against movement by said cam, said latch-release bolt being constructed to hold said latch out of said slot while said arm is in said recesses.

JAMES BALTON. 

